


You And I Both

by kashmir



Series: You and I Both [1]
Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-20
Updated: 2004-07-20
Packaged: 2017-10-08 15:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/pseuds/kashmir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post high school/college fic... Casey looks back on his relationship with Zeke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You And I Both

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in some way known only to me by Jason Mraz's _You and I Both._ [Lyrics here](http://www.jasonmraz.com/Lyrics/YouAndIBoth.html) if anyone is interested. I'm worried that Zeke is out of character. [](http://holycitygirl.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://holycitygirl.livejournal.com/)**holycitygirl** assures me that this isn't the case and future fics are never OOC.

Their love had never been a fairy tale romance, Casey thought to himself as he sat smoking on his fire escape in the crisp New York air. That's why it was so real. It hadn't been perfect.

He shivered in the cool October evening and thought of Zeke. October always reminded him of Zeke. Well, if Casey was going to be honest with himself, most things made him think of Zeke. He had enough memories of him to last an entire life. Every month, every season, every holiday, every hour, minute, second.

He remembered everything. And memories were all he had left now.

They had graduated high school and practically ran screaming for the anonymity that New York City had to provide. They were together by then... Together as a couple, although they had only come out to a few close friends. Casey's parents didn't think anything of him and Zeke living together; he'd spent so much time at their house during the last year of school, they had practically adopted him.

NYU awaited Casey that fall and Zeke was out to make his way in the world. He found a job in the mailroom of a Fortune 500 company and planned to make his way to the top with nothing but his wits and his veracious attitude.

They fell into a very domesticated routine in their one bedroom loft over those first few months. And they'd lie awake at night and Zeke would run his fingers through Casey's hair and they'd talk about the future, whether it was two, five or ten years away. And it would always be them. Together. Against the world.

Casey had fallen into the Arts Department at NYU and had almost immediately started actively pursuing his degree in photography. Whenever he'd get discouraged or his professors would happen to rip apart a photo of his that he particularly loved, Zeke would be the one to comfort him. He always felt better after, knowing that as long as Zeke believed in him, he could do anything.

Casey had lived his dream for over three years. But during his junior year, things started to change. Zeke had gotten a promotion a few months earlier and had started to 'schmooze,' as he put it, some of the higher ups. He was rapidly climbing the corporate ladder and Casey couldn't have been prouder. He knew that together they were unbeatable.

But then Zeke had started to change. It had been subtle but Casey had still felt it happening. Zeke was pulling away from him. He could feel it in the way he touched him.

He knew he had to do with what people at Zeke's company would think if they knew Zeke was with a man. Romantically. Casey knew that, even in this day and age, most people were still not open-minded enough to accept two men in love.

Zeke's company was run by such people. They all expected Zeke to marry a nice girl and move out of his 'bachelor' apartment he shared with his 'good friend,' Casey, in the city and buy a house on the Island and commute to the city every day in his Volvo.

Fucking suburbanites, thought Casey one evening as he watched Zeke flirt with the girl bartender at their usual hangout, a dive by the name of Billy's. He was used to Zeke flirting with girls. Hell, Casey did it himself occasionally. . He had no real problems with girls. They were soft and sweet and always seemed to smell nice. Up till his first kiss with Zeke, he'd always thought he'd end up with one. But then Zeke's lips had met his that surprisingly hot April day and any further thoughts of a wife plus 2.5 kids with the picket fence and a golden retriever had vanished from Casey's mind and been replaced by images of Zeke.

Zeke had always flirted with a playful attitude and made sure nothing came of it. That night at Billy's, though, Zeke had been dead serious. Casey had been able to tell in his body language.

Zeke had been it for Casey. He'd faced that reality the first time they'd kissed. There would be no other. And as he sat watching him hit on girl after girl that night, he knew what he had to do.

If he had to let Zeke go to make sure he was happy, then he would. That's just what you did when you loved someone as much as Casey loved Zeke.

They'd talked that night when they got home, about lives going in different directions and getting out now, cutting their losses. Zeke hadn't slept there that night, had opted to go crash at a friend's place. Before he'd gone, Casey had told him that no matter what, he'd always love him and that he was always just a phone call away. Zeke had smiled a rather sad smile and kissed Casey on the lips. It was the last time they ever kissed.

Zeke and all his things had been gone within two weeks and that was that. Casey was alone. With his memories.

*******************************

Casey stubbed out his cigarette and wrapped his arms around his knees, staring out into the noisy New York night. He knew he was just feeling melancholy because his very first gallery show was opening tomorrow night and he had no one to share it with. Other than his close friends and family.

In other words, he didn't have Zeke to share it with.

Casey wondered if he would feel this lonely and isolated if he hadn't seen Zeke not a month before at Stokes and Stan's wedding back in Ohio. He doubted it.

In the five years since their break-up, they'd only spoken a handful of times and seen each other once. When they ran into each other at the wedding that had been the second time. It had been stilted and awkward, although Zeke had mentioned he had heard through the grapevine about his gallery show and how he always knew Casey had it in him.

He'd smiled and for a second, one frozen glorious moment in time, he was Casey's Zeke again. But then he'd blinked and looked away, and it was if a door had slammed shut and then he was suddenly stammering that he'd seen an old friend and had made a hasty exit.

Casey had been rather down in the dumps ever since.

He knew that Zeke had started up his own firm in venture capitalism three and a half years ago. Zeke had always loved taking risks. Business had been booming within a year and Zeke was well on his way to making his first million.

Casey was proud of him. He always knew Zeke could do anything he put his mind to.

Casey reached for his pack of cigarettes and was just about to light up his third in about fifteen minutes when the phone rang. He huffed a little in disappointment and sat his lighter and cigarette down. He squeezed in through his window and hurried over to the side table, which held his phone and answering machine. He got to it on the fourth ring, right before the machine picked up.

He was breathing a little shallowly when he said hello. He made a mental note to cut back on the smoking when the voice on the other end registered.

"Zeke?" He asked quietly, a bit shocked.

"Yeah. Listen, I-I know a lot of time has passed but... You're still only a phone call away, right?"

Casey started to smile.

"Yeah, Zeke, yeah."


End file.
